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| Alexander Miles |
Alexander Miles
1838? - 1918
Who Was He?
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| The Brownstone Miles Built |
His biography is one of a successful man doing businessman things. If this blog was about that, this would be a really long entry. It isn't, so I am going to summarize:
Alexander Miles was born someplace around 1838. Sites vary, but truthfully, this information seems to be unknown.
He was in an interracial marriage with an older woman and had one child with her and at least two stepchildren.
He was a barber.
He sold insurance to black folks who could not get it.
He was a landlord.
He was very successful.
What Did He Invent?
The story goes that he and his daughter Grace were riding in an elevator, and the doors had not been properly closed, and he felt it was quite dangerous.
In fact, elevator travel was quite dangerous. There was a system for closing the doors, but it required the person in the elevator to activate it.
Miles set out to improve the system.
What Is His Legacy?
The next time you encounter an elevator, say a thank you to Alexander Miles.
He's the reason the door closes and doesn't open again until the elevator arrives.
It doesn't open on your trip up or down either...unless it is broken, and that is not his fault!
Celebrate Black History!
Day 3 - Sarah Boone - Inventor and Domestic Goddess
Day 6 - Ernest Everett Just - Biologist, Zoologist, Cell man
Day 7 - Frederick McKinley Jones - The Coolest Man in Modern History
Day 7 - Frederick McKinley Jones - The Coolest Man in Modern History
Day 8 - Sarah Goode - A Practical Bed For Small Spaces
Day 9 - William Henry Cling - Did He Invent The Hospital Bed Before Gatch?
Day 10 - Inez Beverly Prosser and Brown V.S. The Board of Education
Day 11 - Jan Ernst Mateliger - Mechanical Engineer/Sole Man
Day 12 - Samuel L. Kountz Jr. - Revolutionized Transplant Surgery
Day 13 - Lewis Howard Latimer - Incandescent Inventor
Day 14 - Marie Van Brittan Brown - Home Security
Day 15 - Norbert Rillieux - Sugar Man
Day 16 - Otis Boykin - He Kept Hearts Beating
Day 17 - Alice H. Parker - Heating It Up!
Day 18 - Lloyd Quarterman - Chemist and Atom Man
Day 9 - William Henry Cling - Did He Invent The Hospital Bed Before Gatch?
Day 10 - Inez Beverly Prosser and Brown V.S. The Board of Education
Day 11 - Jan Ernst Mateliger - Mechanical Engineer/Sole Man
Day 12 - Samuel L. Kountz Jr. - Revolutionized Transplant Surgery
Day 13 - Lewis Howard Latimer - Incandescent Inventor
Day 14 - Marie Van Brittan Brown - Home Security
Day 15 - Norbert Rillieux - Sugar Man
Day 16 - Otis Boykin - He Kept Hearts Beating
Day 17 - Alice H. Parker - Heating It Up!
Day 18 - Lloyd Quarterman - Chemist and Atom Man
Day 20 - Charles S. L. Baker - The Friction Radiator
Day 21 - Granville T. Woods - The Black Edison
Day 22 - Alfred L. Cralle - Next Time You Have Ice Cream...
Day 23 - Ellen Elgin - Through The Wringer
Day 24 - Dr. Daniel Hale Williams - Holding A Heart In the Palm of His Hands
Day 25 - Benjamin Bradley - Steam Engine Dominance
Day 26 - Elijah McCoy - The Real One
Day 27 - Alexander Miles - Hold The Door, Please!
Day 21 - Granville T. Woods - The Black Edison
Day 22 - Alfred L. Cralle - Next Time You Have Ice Cream...
Day 23 - Ellen Elgin - Through The Wringer
Day 24 - Dr. Daniel Hale Williams - Holding A Heart In the Palm of His Hands
Day 25 - Benjamin Bradley - Steam Engine Dominance
Day 26 - Elijah McCoy - The Real One
Day 27 - Alexander Miles - Hold The Door, Please!
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ReplyDeleteGreat information and stories, I enjoyed everyone of them and above all received tremendous wealth of knowledge. Thank you!
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